Revolution Newspaper: Contraband Publication

[Monkey Riding Dragon]

The Pelican Bay State Prison in California has recently declared the newspaper I distribute, Revolution, the paper of the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA, to be "contraband because it ‘promotes disruption and overthrow of the government and incites violence to do so....’" and "Incites racial violence and promotes governmental anarchy." Issues of Revolution have reportedly been confiscated by the authorities from as far back as October.

I wondered if anyone here might share my concern and support the effort to overturn this ban (http://www.revcom.us/a/196/overturn_the_ban-en.html)?

[Little Bobby Hutton]

You have my support Comrade.

[Monkey Riding Dragon]

Two articles printed in the latest issue of Revolution expand on the case against this ban. I'd like to highlight just a few of the comments provided by prisoners themselves quoted therein.

From "Prisoner writes on the Pornofication of the Prisons" (http://www.revcom.us/a/195/prisoner_IWD-en.html)...


Officials will ban the Revolution newspaper from coming into the facility, but will allow unlimited porn magazines & materials to enter.Later this prisoner requests:


You can rest assured that I will continue to fiercely struggle with prisoners from a revolutionary communist perspective on the importance of the liberation of women, which is a must for the emancipation of all of humanity. With this being said, & my commitment & contribution to getting this done, I would like for you to arm me with "A Declaration: For Women's Liberation & the Emancipation of All Humanity (http://www.revcom.us/a/158/Declaration-en.html)."What we find demonstrated here, just before this prisoner goes on to describe a horrific and sickening incident he, together with a lot of others, was made to endure by these same pig-headed authorities, is a more-than-slight inconsistency...and one, mind you, that's particularly offensive to yours truly. One of the main reasons I got interested in the RCP's line and Bob Avakian's new work in the first place was in response to reading the powerful article he [the prisoner quoted above] mentioned. Therein I found something I hadn't before from a communist publication: a sensitive, thorough, and thought-provoking address of the oppression of women, rather than the standard economist "anti-identity-politics" lecture centering on how us women need to shut up about our oppression and look at labor struggles instead. Those lecture types of analysis never connected with me. By contrast, after reading the Declaration, I became convinced that the RCP was an organization that genuinely cared about the emancipation of women. And accordingly, they got through to me on the need to see that as a part of liberating humanity as a whole, rather than as indeed a feminist-type thing 'against men'. That was a major step for me. I can't emphasize enough how much my thinking has changed since that time thanks to Revolution and the specific line Bob Avakian is advancing that the said newspaper proceeds on the basis of! So when I read about how these fucking prison authorities are shutting out Revolution while circulating magazines depicting the degradation of women as a source of entertainment...there's a message there that really angers me!

So anyhow, these sick, pig-headed fuckers also claim that Revolution "incites racial violence". Well, let's take a look at some of the testimonies from the prisoners themselves quoted in snippets in the article "Banning Revolution newspaper from Pelican Bay State Prison is inhumane, unconstitutional, and immoral -- HELP OVERTURN it now!" (http://www.revcom.us/a/197/PRLF_statement-en.html)...


"This paper has been a primary vehicle of crossing racial lines and bringing the people together."

"This paper has made a big difference in the relationships that races in here deal with each other. Not as a whole but with some of us. Meaning that prisoners of different races are so caught up on this plan that our captors are pushing that they have nothing but hatred for the next race. But this prisoner of a different race recently seen me passing one of these papers to a neighbor of his... He said he used to read the papers at another prison and we struck up a conversation about how informative the contents of the papers are and how everyone should be reading them and how different prison would be if everyone read the papers."


"I’m African American, and everything I read prior to Bob Avakian was afro centric in thought. ...what he teached changed my perspective on all of that. It’s more than a black and white thing with me now. I see the commonalities that black and white share now..."


"Maybe you could send me an English and Spanish copy of the paper because many of my comrades are Latino."Hmmm....it would seem the authorities' claims have nothing to do with reality. There's a surprise.

[Monkey Riding Dragon]

UPDATE:

The Prisoners Revolutionary Literature Fund (which provides free subscriptions to Revolution newspaper for prisoners) has recently provided an update on the situation (http://www.revcom.us/a/207/PRLF_flash-en.html). It would appear that we are winning the legal battle against these bans, but it's also clear that much remains to be clarified and accomplished. Thought you might appreciate the info on our progress.

Thought I'd also highlight an important point that's made within that article regarding this issue, quote:


It is important to note that by announcing that ALL issues of Revolution (http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103531365997&s=511&e=001tUCOD5oHgqXXFW0I9j-PI24Pt62SDx7BoXxI_iI7O5AfggG0gDm482v4BxzhcqlwmZj1X wjJYLqA3vaIvZBfYJ7hQlv_MpqajJzYoeV6bTI=) newspaper mailed to PBSP inmates in the past nine months have been delivered, the warden at PBSP has now been forced to admit that there was in fact NO VALID BASIS to bar a single issue of Revolution (http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103531365997&s=511&e=001tUCOD5oHgqXXFW0I9j-PI24Pt62SDx7BoXxI_iI7O5AfggG0gDm482v4BxzhcqlwmZj1X wjJYLqA3vaIvZBfYJ7hQlv_MpqajJzYoeV6bTI=) newspaper from any prisoner during that time period.

Thought that point was worth reiterating specifically.

[Adil3tr]

isn't that maoist? regardless, i support the political freedoms and human rights of prisoners, ever since i read ceiling of America by PLN

[Kassad]

isn't that maoist? regardless, i support the political freedoms and human rights of prisoners, ever since i read ceiling of America by PLN

Revolution Newspaper is the newspaper of the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA, which is a Maoist group. They work pretty hard to get prisoners subscriptions to the paper and it's nice to see they've made progress in fighting the ban.

[x371322]

Well that's cowshit. Good luck in overturning the ban.

[Monkey Riding Dragon]

Well actually, to be 100% correct, it would be more accurate to say that the Revolutionary Communist Party used to be a Maoist party and that it continues to uphold Mao's legacy. However, since 2008 the party has ceased to identify it's ideological perspective as Maoism. Instead, the party chairman's new synthesis of communism and communist revolution is viewed as representing a new level of understanding and methodology in the historical development of the communist science, beyond the framework of Maoism. Just to make that clear.

[RedScare]

Good luck overturning the ban. Even though I'm not a huge fan of the RCP, it's important to prevent censorship in prison.

[Kassad]

Well actually, to be 100% correct, it would be more accurate to say that the Revolutionary Communist Party used to be a Maoist party and that it continues to uphold Mao's legacy. However, since 2008 the party has ceased to identify it's ideological perspective as Maoism. Instead, the party chairman's new synthesis of communism and communist revolution is viewed as representing a new level of understanding and methodology in the historical development of the communist science, beyond the framework of Maoism. Just to make that clear.

So will you be withdrawing from the Revolutionary Internationalist Movement, since it's a grouping of parties that uphold Marxism-Leninism-Maoism? Also, Bob Avakian has called himself a Maoist or said that "As Maoists, we-" and the like in the past. At what point did he roll out of bed and realize that this just wasn't good enough? And when Bob Avakian talks to people, does he say "I uphold my new synthesis of communism, since it represents a new understanding of methodology in the historical development of the communist science, which is beyond Maoism"? He must seem pretty egotistical.

Also, I'm ordering a Bob Avakian shirt. What color should I get? This is a serious question. I don't know which ones look the best.

[bcbm]

He must seem pretty egotistical.

you don't say...

[Monkey Riding Dragon]

Kassad:


So will you be withdrawing from the Revolutionary Internationalist Movement, since it's a grouping of parties that uphold Marxism-Leninism-Maoism?

Nope. Our position is to advocate an orientation change within the RIM, much as the RCP underwent a Cultural Revolution in 2008. We're, in other words, advancing that as a sort of model we believe other RIM parties should follow. But we're not doing this in an antagonistic way. We still support the RIM and the revolutionary struggles various Maoist parties are fighting around the world. Ironically enough, this at present means supporting that non-RIM party, the Communist Party of India (Maoist), to a special degree. I think they're bringing us new lessons on revolutionary strategy. BA's new synthesis does, in fact, have a multinational contingent of support within the RIM at this point.


At what point did he roll out of bed and realize that this just wasn't good enough? And when Bob Avakian talks to people, does he say "I uphold my new synthesis of communism, since it represents a new understanding of methodology in the historical development of the communist science, which is beyond Maoism"?

The process wasn't even a fraction as arbitrary as you make it seem. This synthesis has been developed over the course of decades, beginning particularly in 1981 with the talk Conquer the World? In 2008, the decision was made that the new synthesis needed to become a dividing-line question and there was a sort of Cultural Revolution within the party that took place. The entire party was expelled and everyone had to submit new membership applications based on upholding the new synthesis. At that point, a new party constitution was drawn up explicitly defining the new synthesis as a dividing-line question.


Also, I'm ordering a Bob Avakian shirt. What color should I get? This is a serious question. I don't know which ones look the best.

Well mine are just plain black, but I'm hoping for a red version myself in the near future, 'cause I prefer red personally. Black is a serious color, but red is more energetic. [/fashion consultation]

[this is an invasion]

Does BA stand for Bob Avakian or bad ass?


We will never know the truth.

[scarletghoul]

One great thing about the RCP is their work among prisoners, a huge part of the US population* with much revolutionary potential. This is the kind of thing all revolutionary groups should be supporting and getting involved in. Good luck with this, comrade.

Avakian should do a prison tour, that would be cool.

*even in proportion the US prison population is more than in the Stalinist USSR

[bcbm]

Avakian should do a prison tour

but then he would have to come out of "hiding":rolleyes:

[RedScare]

Wait, there are Bob Avakian tee shirts? Fo'real?

[Kassad]

Nope. Our position is to advocate an orientation change within the RIM, much as the RCP underwent a Cultural Revolution in 2008. We're, in other words, advancing that as a sort of model we believe other RIM parties should follow. But we're not doing this in an antagonistic way. We still support the RIM and the revolutionary struggles various Maoist parties are fighting around the world. Ironically enough, this at present means supporting that non-RIM party, the Communist Party of India (Maoist), to a special degree. I think they're bringing us new lessons on revolutionary strategy. BA's new synthesis does, in fact, have a multinational contingent of support within the RIM at this point.


I hadn't heard much about this and I'm interested to see how your party pulls it off. However, when I think of the RCP's relation with the RIM as of late, all I think are negative things. I doubt the UCPN(M) is very fond of the RCP and Avakian after you've declared them as revisionists. I also recall reading in the Communist Party of Peru's magazine, Red Sun, a criticism of Avakian that stated that no one but the RCP cared about Avakian whatsoever. I'd be interested in seeing some documentation of this support for Avakian's new synthesis within the RIM, especially since it appears that the international is falling apart due to either inactivity or a complete lack of collaboration.



The process wasn't even a fraction as arbitrary as you make it seem. This synthesis has been developed over the course of decades, beginning particularly in 1981 with the talk Conquer the World? In 2008, the decision was made that the new synthesis needed to become a dividing-line question and there was a sort of Cultural Revolution within the party that took place. The entire party was expelled and everyone had to submit new membership applications based on upholding the new synthesis. At that point, a new party constitution was drawn up explicitly defining the new synthesis as a dividing-line question.

Another point that I've heard nothing about. I really wish the RCP would write up some documents about these events, since it seems critical for the party's supporters and even future supporters and members to understand if they are to comprehend the massive changes in the party. My real question is this: was Bob Avakian expelled from the party too? ;)

But tell me this: after expelling much of the party through the process of this new Cultural Revolution, the massive departure of RCP members to form the Kasama Project and the decision to focus all of the party's energy on getting people to engage Bob Avakian, is your party growing? Have you seen a lot of growth, especially in sectors of young and working class communities, or have all of these things been a setback for party membership numbers?

[Raúl Duke]

Wait, there are Bob Avakian tee shirts? Fo'real?

Just in case that wasn't Sarcasm...yes there is (I heard) but I haven't found any online meself.

Its important that you wear it, it was part of one of their media campaigns. (http://www.rwor.org/a/203/campaign-fundraising-en.html)


If there are YouTube videos of people wearing the image of Bob Avakian shirt or displaying the poster—and those same people testifying as to why they are doing so—be sure that these are being sent into Revolution newspaper so that some of the best of these can be played that day—no matter where you are, in a major city or small town or an outlying area of the revolution—you can be part of this—it will be a nationwide collective event. If you would like to film a special report of key advances in the saturation from the city where you are—you can film these and send them in also. Now on to topic...

Good luck in getting the ban overturned.

[Nachie]

the party chairman's new synthesis of communism and communist revolution

Silly me, I didn't realize those things needed synthesizing!

[Soviet dude]

I actually know a comrade who was partially radicalized by the RCP's prison work. He didn't join the RCP (thank god) in part because they refused to help him with organizing in prison, and partly because the Avakian worship is enough to make even sympathizers gag.